The Memphis Grizzlies continued their 2021 offseason trend of turning heads with big-name trades with a deal that included three big-name veteran guards. You can read about the details of the trade here. In short, the deal swapped Eric Bledsoe, who hadn’t even suited up for the Grizzlies, for Patrick Beverley and Rajon Rondo.
The initial reaction to this trade, at least for myself, was confusion. Even so, the deeper of a dive you take into this one, the better it seems for Memphis. This can be exemplified by the fact that the Grizz now have the scariest defensive trio in the league, including three notoriously feisty players in Beverley, Dillon Brooks, and Steven Adams.
This, however, may not even be the most important implication of this trade.
Memphis Grizzlies PG Ja Morant only stands to benefit from this deal with the Los Angeles Clippers
After a deal involving three point guards, none of whom go by the name “Ja Morant,” you will not likely think of the soon-to-be third-year ball handler. Even so, this deal should have a huge impact on Ja Morant and we may feel this in the immediate future. Here’s why.
Eric Bledsoe would have been a strong mentor for Morant if not for a couple of variables. For starters, we knew he wasn’t going to play in Memphis — that much was announced immediately following the trade that brought him to Beale Street. Secondly, he is well out of his prime and doesn’t have a playstyle that matches the Grizzlies’ young point guard. It wasn’t a great fit.
As of right now, it’s unclear whether or not the Grizzlies plan to keep both Beverley and Rondo. In fact, it seems entirely likely that Memphis will only keep one, as the team is now two players over the 15-player NBA limit. Still, Morant will benefit from either one of these guys serving as his backup in 2021.
If the Grizzlies elect to keep Rondo, Morant will have a mentor in one of this generation’s best passers — scratch that — Morant will have a mentor in one of the league’s best pure point guards of all time. Sure, Rondo has nothing to teach the young point guard in terms of scoring, but Morant will take huge steps forward as a playmaker with the former Boston Celtic in his shadow. Rondo is a point guard who has averaged over 11 assists per game in four separate seasons of his career.
Let’s say, however, that the Grizzlies keep Beverley and buy out Rondo’s contract. Morant will still benefit in a huge way.
Even though Dillon Brooks may be the one primarily benefitting from Beverley’s presence, Ja could take huge strides forward as a defender in this situation. Think about it — nobody will rave about Morant’s defensive capabilities. He’s not terrible, but Beverley’s presence could go a long way for a team that is looking to shift toward being one of the most intimidating defensive presences in the league.
Pair this with the fact that Morant could learn to knock down the 3-pointer more efficiently from a guy like Beverley, who has hovered around 40% for the entirety of his career, and this looks like a match made in heaven. They may not have a similar playstyle right now, but they complement each other.
No matter who sticks around in Memphis, their veteran presence shouldn’t go unnoticed. This deal may have just vaulted Ja Morant to All-Star status.